Rook vs Pawns End Game Positions and Calculations

General principles for Rook(s) vs Pawns

1. Keep an eye on the Checking distance between the King and the Rook.

2. Don’t exchange your last Rook in a down position as that would most likely lead to a draw.

3. It is ok to even sacrifice a pawn in order to mobilize the Rook.

4. It is advisable to place the Rook always behind a pawn as that pawn would be protected the best and there would be more chances of Pawn Promotion with an ease.

One Rook vs Pawns

1. Rook vs One Pawn

1. Rg5  c3 2. Rg3  c2 3. Rc3

Position 1.1

 1. c7  Rd6 2. Kb5  Rd5 3. Kb4  Rd4 4. Kc3  Rd1 5. Kc2  Rd4 6. c8 (Rc8)  Ra4 7. Kb3  Rh4 8. Rc1#

Position 1.2

 1. Rh2  Kd1! 2. Kd3  c1(Nc1)! 3. Ke3  Nb3! 4.Rb2  Nc1! = - =

2. Rook vs Two Pawns

1. Rh1  Ka3 2. Rh8  c2 3. Kc1  Kb4 4. Kb2 + -

Position 2.1

1. …  Kg3 2. b5!  Kf4 3. b6!  Ke5 4. b7!  Rb1 5. Ka7!  Kd6 6. b8 (Qb8)!  +-

Position 2.2

1. …  Rc1 2. h5  Kb3 3. h6  Kc4 4. Kf5  Kd5 5. h7  Rh1 6. Kg6  Ke6 7. Kg7!  Rg1 8. Kf8! = - =

Position 2.3

1. Rb1  Kd3 2. Rg1 = - =

3. Rook vs Three Pawns

1. Rf8  Ke5 2. Rd8  d3 3. Ke3  Kf5 4. Re8  Kg4 5. Rxe4  Kg3 6. Rf4  d2 7. Rxf3  Kg2 8. Rf2 +-

Position 3.1

1. Ke5  c4?! 2. Ra3+  Kg4! 3. Ke4  h4 4. Ra8  Kg3 5. Rg8  Kf2 6. Kxf4  h3! 7. Ra8

4. Rook and Pawns vs Pawns

1. Ke7  b3 2. Rg4+  Kc3 3. Rxa4!  b2 4. Ra3+  1-0

Position 4.1

1. Kg6  Kd3 2. Kf5  f3?! 3. Kf4!! fxg2 4. Rxe3  Kd4 5. Re1  Kd3 6. Kf3  c4 7. Rd1  Kc2 8. Ke2  c3 1-0

Position 4.2

1. Kg4!?  Ke2 2. Kf5  Ra6 3. g4!  Kf3 4. g5  Ra5+ 5. Kxf6  Kxf4 6. g6  Ra6+ 7. Kf7  Kf5 8. g7  Ra7 9. Kg8!?  Kg6 10. Kh8  Rxg7  ½ - ½